Galaxy Insider Player Ratings: Tommy Meyer

The LA Galaxy season may be over, but LA Galaxy Insider Adam Serrano will spend the next few weeks offering an evaluation of each member of the squad. VIEW CALENDAR

The LA Galaxy Player Ratings will begin with players who appeared in the least number of games this season starting with goalkeeper Brian Rowe and concluding with Sean Franklin who played in all 34 of the club’s regular season games. There will also be an evaluation of head coach and general manager Bruce Arena and his moves at the conclusion of the list.

We will have two to three evaluations per day and focus on what each player did well, what they need to improve on ahead of next season as well as a select thought from the player on their performance and a rating from myself out of four stars.

HIGHLIGHTS: During Meyer’s first season, the center back grew from a rookie to a mature central defender that proved capable of leading the Galaxy to another MLS Cup title. But Meyer’s rise was a gradual one as throughout the season, he was tutored by a number of different veterans including A.J. DeLaGarza, Andrew Boyens, and later Omar Gonzalez, each providing their own input to help him refine his game. Meyer put that knowledge into practice by becoming a regular with the club’s reserves and during the 2012/2013 CONCACAF Champions League campaign. When DeLaGarza was felled by a knee sprain on Sept. 30, Meyer immediately stepped into LA’s defense and never looked back. However, Meyer “became a man” –to use the words of Landon Donovan—during LA’s Western Conference Semifinal Second Leg in San Jose as he shut down the Earthquakes and even added a well-timed pass that helped set up an LA counterattack leading to Robbie Keane’s second goal of the night. Following LA’s win, Meyer was rock solid as he helped LA to their second consecutive MLS Cup title.

LOWLIGHTS: Early on the season, the rookie center back admittedly struggled to adjust to the physicality and speed of the professional game. Perhaps the lowest moment for Meyer and the Galaxy came during LA’s second leg defeat to Toronto FC that gave LA their first loss at home in more than a year. However, as the season wore on and Meyer received heavy minutes with the reserves and the CCL, he blossomed into a valuable contributor during LA’s run to back-to-back MLS Cups.

HIS THOUGHTS: “From the start to the finish, it has been a crazy ride. Starting playing and then not playing, I had to work my way back so that if they needed me I could step in and have an impact on the game. It’s definitely been a season where I put a lot of work and I got the result that I wanted because we won a championship and I got to play in that game. It’s definitely been a great year. “

RATING: THREE AND A HALF STARS
No player grew more over the course of the 2012 calendar year than Tommy Meyer. Over the course of the season, he developed into a physical presence in the back with the ability to spark a counterattack with a timely pass forward. As he matures, Meyer may very well mature into a regular for the Galaxy going forward. If both enter the preseason healthy, expect a heated competition between Meyer and DeLaGarza for the starting spot alongside Gonzalez.